The Gryphon Gazette

By Sawyer G. ‘26

In a mid-season top-10, Pac-12 farewell season showdown between 7th-ranked Washington and 8th-ranked Oregon, a high-scoring shootout between two prolific offenses is a must-see thriller. The game promises a back-and-forth battle between two Heisman-hopeful quarterbacks in the Ducks’ Bo Nix and Huskies’ Michael Penix Jr. 

Penix, who is cementing himself as a Heisman candidate early on, is currently second in the nation in passing yards, leaning on his strong receiving core, including Jalen McMillian, Ja’lynn Polk, and projected high-round NFL draft pick Rome Odunze. Like last year, the Huskies have put up historic numbers in their air-raid offense led by offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. The Huskies are known to score, averaging 46 points per game so far this season, but their defense remains a big question mark. In their last two games, the Huskies defense allowed 32 points to Cal and 24 points to Arizona, two bottom-of-the-barrel programs. These types of defensive numbers only remind one of another non-blue-blood football program that sneaks into the 4th seed only to get demolished by an Alabama or Georgia-type program. We will find out how effective the Huskies’ defense is this Saturday against another top-tier Ducks offense driven by quarterback Bo Nix and head coach Dan Lanning. 

The Ducks’ offense bumps shoulders with Washington’s at the top of the NCAA, with a scoring average of about 52 points per game. Redshirt senior Bo Nix has also been making a strong case for himself as the Heisman winner, passing for 1500 yards and 15 touchdowns for only one interception so far this season, albeit against a cupcake schedule. In my opinion, Speedster running back Bucky Irving has made the biggest contribution to the Ducks’ offense this season with his Olympic speed and shifty maneuvers which allow him to find holes and get to the outside of the sticks. Washington’s secondary will also be tested by the Ducks’ top receiver Troy Franklin (who went to Menlo-Atherton). Franklin has taken the top off of defenses all year as the West Coast, vertical offense of Dan Lanning has unleashed his ability to break through Cover-4 and Cover-5 formations. Bo Nix has targeted Franklin the most out of all his receivers, with the majority of that target share coming with passes over 15 yards, establishing Franklin as one of College Football’s biggest deep threats. He is currently projected to be drafted in the first or second round in the upcoming NFL Draft. Furthermore, the Huskies’ defensive line will have to step up with Irving projected to have another 100-yard game, gaining his yards not just on the ground but through the air as well. 

This game offers a substantial amount of College Football Playoff implications, as neither of these teams have played any currently ranked Top-25 opponents, and both are inside the top-10 AP Poll. I am sure that the winner of this game will shoot up into the top 5 of the College Football Playoff rankings, overtaking Florida State whose early-season win over LSU has lost significance as the season has progressed. These teams will likely meet again in the Pac-12 Championship, barring a win-out from USC, who has not looked very beatable in their last few matchups. A win for either of these teams will go a long way, especially a win involving defensive success, as neither of these teams have been regarded as top defensive programs, holding them back from the top-4 rankings necessary to make the CFP. I believe the winner of this game has a 45% chance of making it to the College Football Playoff, and the loser a 10% chance, with their shot at raising their chances of an appearance being determined by a win-out, and a Pac-12 Championship crown. 

Big sports books, such as FanDuel and BetMGM, have been holding the total at 67.5 points all week, which I see as a more than likely hit when taking the over. I would strongly advise taking the over at nothing less than -110 on that point total. As I’ve stated above, these are two of the best offenses in College Football, both with great offensive weapons and substandard defenses. The spread gets a little bit trickier. Sportsbooks have Washington -3 (favored to win by 3 points), although the home-field advantage bump of +3 makes this game as neutral as you can get; both teams have a fair shot at the win, but I’m taking Oregon over Washington, trusting the Ducks’ defense over that of the Huskies, to slow down the Huskies’ offense just enough to pull out a win. Not to mention, Oregon is 5-0 against the spread, supplying me with just enough confidence to bet them at +3. This should be one of the most exciting, and thrilling games of the season.